You get to play as three different characters in the game but if any one's the star of Starfighter, it's Rhys Dallows. This young rookie pilot has always dreamed of being apart of Naboo's elite Bravo Flight and when his beloved planet comes under attack from the Trade federation he gets his chance. Under the tutelage of expert pilot, Essara Till, Rhys gets all the tips he needs to survive harsh battle conditions. Rhys's mother was a schoolteacher and he never knew his father although you will eventually encounter him in the Bonus Mission, Charm's Way.

Flying The N-1 Starfighter

The N-1 Starfighter is a real hotrod and is easily the most fun to fly in the game, with the exception of the bonus Sith Infiltrator you earn by getting all gold in every mission. It's super agile, speedy and looks pretty with its nice shiny front end. It has strong lasers but is the only ship without a rechargeable supply of their secondary weapon. The N-1 comes equipped with 10 Proton Torpedoes (which can pack a punch) and since they are limited in amount they should only be used when absolutely necessary. The advanced secondary weapon are the Advanced Proton Torpedoes which will break apart and hit several targets at the same time. This attack is best used against groups of enemies and can potentially hit 10 different targets but will consume two of your torpedoes. You gain the Advanced Proton Torpedoes in level eight. Targeting enemies with your torpedoes is easy. Just get a target in front of you (make sure it has a red target ring around it) and wait for your target view in the center of the screen to first turn yellow and then turn red. Once red let your torpedo fly and will almost surely hit its target no matter what the target does. Be sure to listen for the audio cues as well to let you know when you're locked on.

Vana Sage

Vana is an adventurer with a good heart. She's worked for everyone including bounty hunter, Naboo's Royal Security Force and even the Trade Federation which is who she is employed by at the beginning of the game. She is ver self sufficient but to face the challenges ahead she'll have to work as a team with a cast of unlikely allies. Vana flies the Guardian Mantis.

Flying The Guardian Mantis

Vana's ship may at first seem not as powerful since she is without a potent secondary weapon when in reality her Ion-Enabled Sensor Tags allow her to fire on targets without even facing them. The ship's primary weapons are not lasers at all but actually Sensor-Guided Nano Missiles. When just fired at a target they'll act just like lasers but when you tag and enemy with one of your sensor tags and that enemy is targeted then no matter what direction you fire, your Nano Missiles will find the target. This is very handy when you're trying to dodge laser. The Mantis is very maneuverable however and in one mission it can completely stop. The Mantis's Advance Secondary Weapon is called the Ion Encumbrance System and will totally disable a ship, even a big one. The attack is activated by first charging the blast by holding down the CIRCLE button and then you need to get very close to the target and then let the shot off. When it hits, an electrical field will surround the ship and its shields will be gone and it won't be able to move or fire on you. The attack does not work from any kind of distance; you must be very close to the ship for it to work. This attack will consume your complete compliment of Sensor Tags but they will regenerate.

Nym

The gruff Nym is hard to like at first but this big green guy is loveable in the end. If one thing is obvious it's the fact that he truly cares about his people, even if they are outlaw pirates. Nym comes from the Feeorin species found on a few outer rim worlds. He was an orphan raised by criminals but out of his lowly roots he has become a brilliant captain and pilot. In recent times Nym and his band have been a thorn in the side of the Trade Federation who went and hired Vana to capture him. It's enough to say that Nym has it out for the Trade Federation.

Flying The Havoc

First off it's really easy to kill yourself in the Havoc. Its secondary weapons are Energy Bombs, which explode when they hit the ground or target with a huge blast area. If you fly into this blast area you will take mad amounts of damage. This happens most when you attack ground targets so try to attack ground targets from at least some kind of altitude and distance so you can avoid running into your own blasts. The Havoc's Primary weapon are Dual Triple-Laser Cannons which are quite powerful. The ship's most powerful attack is the Plasma Scourge, its Advanced Secondary Weapon you gain use of for the first time in level nine. It's a super powerful blast that takes some charging (by holding the CIRCLE button) and will use up five Energy Bombs. Two blasts with your Plasma Scourge are all it takes to eliminate most buildings and structures and a single blast can take out large, well armed vehicles. There is also a an auto turret mounted on the top of the ship. It isn't very powerful but every little bit can help. This is the least maneuverable and slowest ship you fly in the game but it is the most heavily shielded.

Enemy Ship Database

Trade Federation Craft

Proximity Mines

They are small and are either dropped from some fleeing ships or are found just hanging in space, especially around satellites but are also found floating around on a planet's surface. If you get too close to one it will explode and cause more damage to your ship and shields than an average laser blast. Mines are not shielded. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that you need to steer clear of mines, keep at least half a ships length away if not more from mines to get by them without an explosion. The best way to deal with them is to shoot them from a distance. You may have to use the zoom in feature to hit them since they're so small. Only one laser blast is necessary to get rid of a mine. Some mines will leave an orange colored blast area where it has been blown up. Avoid running into this blast area to stay unscathed.

Scarabs

These are the main workhorses in the Trade Federation arsenal. You'll face plenty of them, in almost every mission in the game. They attack in swarms but will also appear on their own. They are shielded which means it takes more than a few hits to take them down. Often you can actually get into a bit of a dogfight with one of these Scarabs. They aren't super smart however and when going against a single Scarab you have little to worry about. They can sneak up on you in groups of three or more which can make them somewhat dangerous. Always keep an eye out for them.

Droid Starfighters

Droid Starfighers are faster, more maneuverable and more accurate than Scarab Fighters, making them much more dangerous but at the same time they have no shielding which means that only a few hits from your blasters will take them out. Try to eliminate swarms of them from a distance, before they can get their lasers trained on you. If a swarm does start hitting you with their blasts it is best to pull some dodging maneuvers and get on the speed to take you out of danger. Let them split up and then take our each one, one by one. You will also find Droid Starfighters on land in their walking mode. They are just easily destroyed on the ground.

Hunter Seeker Droids

These things take nothing to destroy, just a blast from your laser cannons will do the trick. Hunter Seeker Droids can be very hazardous when they attack in groups but are only a bit annoying when a single droid gets a lock on you, kind of like a mosquito in your face. They are quite small so if it wasn't for your ship's HUD that puts a ring around a targeted enemy, they would be really tough to spot. If Hunter Seeker Droids are in the area that you have business in, it is wise to eliminate them first and then deal with your objectives. If you have no business in the area then it's best to just flee any attacks since they are really easy to outrun.

Turret Droids

Unshielded Turret Droids found on the planet surface in the Secrets Of Eos level don't really move around although they are supposed to be mobile. At first encounter with one it will take few shots to get a lock on you. If you don't get moving quickly the powerful turret will focus in on your position and barrage you with relentless rounds of powerful laser blasts. In this situation if you don't run for cover you'll be dead in no time. It only take about four shots from you laser cannons to take them out. Turret Droids are shielded, although weakly.

Trade Federation Freighters

These are unarmed carriers of cargo. They have somewhat thick shields but since they put up no fight, they are pretty easy to eliminate. It's usually the squads of Scarabs protecting them that you have to worry about. Lasers work on these guys but your secondary weapons are what will have the most effect.

Trade Federation Super Freighters

These are much larger than the normal Trade Federation Freighters and come equipped with a pair of extremely powerful laser turrets. The turrets are easy to avoid however as long as you keep ducking a weaving. The safest position to attack them from is from behind but almost any angle will work as long as you keep moving and weaving. They have strong shields and tough hulls so more than a couple of passes will be necessary to cripple one even if you're using your secondary weapons. Keep an eye out for Scarabs and fighters when attacking an armed Super Freighter as you can bet that they will be around.

Repair Ships

Not too much to these guys. They aren't armed and they come in and try to fix up ships you've taken down. Eliminate them before they can do their job. They have pretty strong shields but go down after only a few moments, especially if you're using your secondary weapons on them.

Missile Frigates

Missile Frigates only fire sporadically and when they do fire, they launch missiles, between two and four of them at a time. Try to destroy any launched missiles from a distance with your lasers and be sure to avoid the orange colored blast circle they leave behind. To avoid the majority of missile barrages attack Missile Frigates from behind.

Drop Ships

These guys take beating still keep on ticking. Drop Ships are the most heavily armored craft in the game, as they need to be since their main purpose is to come into a hot-zone and drop off enemy craft for attack. These take more than a couple of passes to put down. Come at them with everything you've got, including some shots from your secondary weapons. In the N-1 you should only waste a couple proton torpedoes on taking down a Drop Ship but in Nym's Havoc you'll have to unload you secondary arsenal a couple times before a drop ship will go down. Drop Ships are unarmed but are usually accompanied by Scarabs and if you give them enough time to unload their cargo then you could have a really serious situation on your hands. Take them out before they can unload, no matter what!

Armored Attack Tanks (AATs)

These are the hovering tanks found in Episode 1. They'll take several laser blasts before they go down and when they get a lock on you, they can be very deadly. Its laser cannon is mega-powerful and does a pretty good job of tracking you as you fly about. They are slow however and easy to destroy with only about four to six blasts or so from your laser cannons. AATs are unshielded but fairly heavily armored.

Armored Missile Tanks (AMTs)

These dangerous tanks will appear on a few different missions, usually dropped off by a dropship. They are gray in color, which makes them a little tough to spot on certain terrain. They fire those red colored missiles with the red trails and when they explode they create a flame ball that lasts for a few moments. Stay clear of these explosions or better yet, hit the missiles with your lasers from a distance to avoid much damage to your shields and ship. AMTs are unshielded and will go down after only about four blasts from your lasers. Their firing rate is also pretty slow.

Heavy Artillery Guns (HAGs)

HAGs are really well armored despite having no shields and they fire a very powerful payload. They won't target your ship because of their slow rate of fire but the installations that you are out to protect will take a huge beating. Think of them as the Trade Federations version of the howitzer. HAGs take multiple passes to take out, even using your secondary weapon.

Bombers

The trickiest thing about shooting down the slow moving bombers is that the thin shape of their fuselage makes them hard to hit with your lasers from behind or when they are coming at you. You never have to worry about getting fired upon by a bomber though, but the ground installations that you're trying to protect will get a beating if you're not quick at eliminating them. You may notice that bombers kind of look like little mini Millennium Falcons. Hmmm.

Single Trooper Arial Platforms (STAPs)

Battle Droids drive these things around and try to shoot at you. They are slow and take forever before they get a lock on you and start firing. No big deal, take them out with a single shot.

Multiple Troop Transport (MTTs)

MTTs are those big hovercraft that transport Battle Droids and Tanks to where the action is. They have no weapons but are well armored and are always accompanied by a contingent of tanks and STAPs. MTTs are unshielded but can take a beating. At least six shots from your laser will be needed to eliminate a MTT.

Turret Mine

These guys are placed in strategic spots and just hover, waiting for a target fire upon. They are easily removed with just a few laser blasts and they tend to have bad aim. Turret Mines are more of a nuisance than any real worry.

Trade Federation Battle Droids

These guys pose hardly any threat at all, although when in groups they can be a nuisance. Just a single laser blast will take one and a group of Battle Droids can be taken down in seconds. They are a little more trouble when riding a STAP but even then they are easy to kill. They are unshielded droids.

Trade Federation Landing Ships

These behemoths are the ships that carry all the tanks and other enemies you face in the game. No matter how hard you try they cannot be destroyed so don't waste your time trying to take one down. They are fun to fly around though.

Trade Federation Patrol Boats

You only encounter these guys in one level of the game and are easy slow moving targets that rarely fire. You will want to take them out quickly though to spare the ships you are trying to protect from any laser fire. They are unshielded and only take a couple blasts to make them go away.

Mercenary Craft

Daggers

Daggers are the workhorses of the mercenary fighter fleet. By the time you beat the game you will have destroyed swarms of them. Their shields and hull are pretty easy to knock down with 6-8 laser blasts and they only fire at you sporadically. They only become dangerous when more than three of them are trying to get you. They usually fly in packs 2-4 or more. Take them out quick and from distance.

Dianogas

These guys are more heavily armored so they take more of your abuse but they fire about as often as Daggers. They don't give you too much trouble, they just take longer to kill. They are cool looking however.

Morningstars

These are the deadliest of the Mercenary fighter craft. They have formidable laser blasts and are quite good at locking in on to you but what makes them so dangerous is their missiles which are more powerful than proton torpedoes and explode in a large impact that damages anything in its radius. In later missions and in bonus missions like Charm's Way getting locked into the sights of a Morningstar and staying there for more than a few seconds can mean a quick death. It was a Morningstar that took out Ryhs's mentor Essara.

Other Craft

Training Droids

Found in the first mission, the Training Droids fire harmless, laser blanks and are used to hone your live fire combat techniques. It's one thing to blow up stagnant, motionless object and a whole other thing to take out an object that fires back. Fortunately they don't take much to eliminate (about 8-10 laser blasts) and you won't take a hit if you keep moving, in fact their first shot usually misses. Something to keep in mind whenever you face a target that's firing on you is that you should always dodge live fire before you take shots at the object. Some enemies you'll encounter have more powerful laser blasts than your own so just blasting each other at the same time until either you or the enemy blows up is foolish. You won't get very far with this technique. You are always more maneuverable than any enemy you face so use your dodging skills to your advantage and then take your target out.